Donald Trump defends ‘very legal’ Trump Tower Moscow talks on Twitter

Donald Trump says 'weak' ex-lawyer is 'lying' after guilty plea2:29

Donald Trump's former lawyer has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in charges brought against him by the team investigating alleged interference by Russia in the 2016 presidential election.
Michael Cohen made a surprise appearance at a court in New York after reaching a plea deal with Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the probe, which saw him admit to lying over the Trump company's links to Russia.
Shortly after Cohen made his appearance, Mr Trump accused him of 'lying' and called him 'weak', suggesting he had entered the plea solely to get a shorter sentence.

November 29th 2018

6 months ago

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US President Donald Trump says all his talks on Trump Tower Russia were legal. Picture: APSource:AP

US President Donald Trump is blasting the investigation in which his former lawyer pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Moscow real estate deal he pursued for the billionaire during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Michael Cohen says he lied to be consistent with Mr Trump’s “political messaging.”

In a tweet from Argentina, Mr Trump recalled “happily living” his life as a developer before running for president after seeing the “Country going in the wrong direction.”

Mr Trump says “Against all odds” he decided to run for president and continue to run his business, which he calls “very legal & very cool.”

He said he “talked about it on the campaign trail.”

US President Donald Trump falsely says he spoke about Trump Tower Moscow on the campaign trail. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

However, on the campaign trail he repeatedly denied having any interest in Russia and while Mr Trump asserted that the Moscow project was common knowledge during the campaign, there is no record of him discussing it publicly.

The only public mention from him of Trump Tower Russia was a tweet in November 2013, while thanking his hosts at the Miss Universe pageant in Russia, where he said “You have done a FANTASTIC job. TRUMP TOWER-MOSCOW is next.”

US President Donald Trump (L) reportedly wanted to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower Moscow. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

His tweet came as Felix Sater, a real estate developer who advised the Trump Organisation on the Trump Tower Moscow deal, said the business at one time planned to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a penthouse worth $US50 million in the tower.

“In Russia, the oligarchs would bend over backwards to live in the same building as Vladimir Putin,” Mr Sater told Buzzfeed. “My idea was to give a $US50 million penthouse to Putin and charge $US250 million more for the rest of the units. All the oligarchs would line up to live in the same building as Putin.”

Michael Cohen is now cooprating with Robert Mueller, above. Picture: AFPSource:AFP

Mr Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is now co-operating with Robert Mueller, the special counsel in the Russia probe.

He has said that the negotiations about building the Moscow tower continued as late as June 2016, when Mr Trump was the presumptive Republican nominee, even though Cohen told two congressional committees last year that the talks had ended that January.

Mr Trump is currently at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina having abruptly cancelled a meeting with Mr Putin.